Was Joseph a Type of the Messiah? Tracing the Typological Identification between Joseph, David, and Jesus James M. Hamilton James M. Hamilton serves as This typological way of reading written up by Moses may have been Associate Professor of Biblical Theology the Bible is indicated too often and influenced by the story of Cain and Abel.3 at The Southern Baptist Theological explicitly in the New Testament itself for us to be in any doubt that The presence of these elements in the Seminary. He previously served as this is the “right” way of reading Joseph story then exercised influence on Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies it—“right” in the only sense that the selection of events included in the criticism can recognize, as the way at Southwestern Baptist Theological 4 5 6 that conforms to the intentionality stories of Moses, Daniel, Esther, and Seminary’s Houston campus and of the book itself and to the conven- Nehemiah.7 Each of these instances could tions it assumes and requires. was the preaching pastor at Baptist be studied in their own right, but in this Naturally, being the indicated and Church of the Redeemer in Houston, obvious way of reading the Bible, essay we will focus on the narrative cor- Texas. Dr. Hamilton has written many and scholars being what they are, respondences between Joseph and David scholarly articles and is the author of typology is a neglected subject, even in theology, and it is neglected before looking to Jesus. My contention in God’s Indwelling Presence: The Ministry elsewhere because it is assumed the first part of this essay is that the story of the Holy Spirit in the Old and New to be bound up with a doctrinaire of Joseph in Genesis 37–50 was a forma- Testaments (B&H, 2006). adherence to Christianity (Northrop Frye, The Great Code).1 tive influence on the account of David produced by the author(s) of Samuel.8 I Introduction will seek to show that the Joseph story How do we interpret the world and the had a world-view shaping impact upon events we experience? The world and the the author(s) of Samuel. The Genesis events that take place within it are not, account was so deeply pressed in that the after all, self-interpreting. In this essay I shape of the thing left its mark, its type.9 will argue that earlier biblical narratives My proposal is as follows: as a result of so impacted later biblical authors that the deep impression made by the Joseph their minds, their vocabulary, and their story, the life of David was interpreted interpretive framework were all shaped by people who read what happened to by what they read in earlier biblical nar- David through the lens of Joseph.10 In ratives, chiefly the Pentateuch.2 I will seek this sense Joseph functioned as a type of to demonstrate this from the way that David. There was precedent for this in the later biblical authors frame their accounts way that the Joseph story influenced key to correspond with earlier stories. This points in the account of Moses, so once essay will focus on narratives devoted to the narratives of Moses and David were Joseph, David, and Jesus. presented in the “Josephic” pattern, it is In the story of Joseph we find a cer- plausible that expectations for more of tain pattern of events. The way that key the same would be generated. Once these aspects of this pattern of events drew patterns began to be recognized, which attention, were passed down, and later would have been possible for readers 52 of the Pentateuch because it contained prophets, and the pattern undergoes a the repeated patterns in the stories of heightening or escalation of significance Joseph and Moses, the patterns might be when the Messiah himself experiences the associated with Cain’s enmity for Abel, fullest expression of this pattern of events Ishmael’s for Isaac, and Esau’s for Jacob. and is crucified. The pattern is typologi- These typological patterns, where the one cally fulfilled in Jesus. favored by God is rejected by his kinsmen, In an earlier essay I attempted to trace could have been understood as prospective out the ways that David functioned as a in that they generated the expectation that type of Jesus the Messiah.13 This essay future individuals in the line of promise, will examine the Joseph story’s impact who experienced God’s favor and kind- on the author(s) of Samuel, then seek to ness, would be expected to experience show how the Joseph story also shaped similar treatment. the interpretive framework reflected in In my view the prophet like Moses the New Testament. If what is presented in Deut 18:15–18 should be understood here proves to be convincing, there is a in precisely this way—as pointing to a natural point of application that flows succession of prophets (that according from it: if biblical language, imagery, and to Deut 34:10–12 would culminate in one patterns of events provide the interpretive uniquely like Moses) who would experi- matrix or grid of meaning through which ence a pattern of events similar to what later biblical authors interpreted the Moses underwent in being raised up by events they recount, what should those God, rejected by the people, declaring of us who seek to learn from the biblical the word of God, and being vindicated authors use to form our own interpretive by God.11 That is to say, the recognizable framework?14 pattern (along with specific texts like I would offer the following working Deuteronomy 18 and 34) pointed forward definition of typological interpretation: to others who would have parallel expe- typological interpretation is canonical riences. It also seems that Luke presents exegesis that observes divinely intended Jesus making this kind of typological patterns of historical correspondence association between the righteous proph- and escalation in significance in the ets and their wicked opponents when he events, people, or institutions of Israel, speaks of “the blood of all the prophets and these types are in the redemptive . from the blood of Abel to the blood historical stream that flows through the of Zechariah” (Luke 11:50–51).12 All the Bible.15 Some exposition of aspects of this righteous prophets have received the definition will perhaps be helpful, starting same kind of treatment from their wicked with the last part first: (1) the progress of kinsmen, and the pattern will culminate revelation through salvation history as in the murder of Jesus himself, for which recorded in the Bible functions as banks of reason Jesus asserts that all the blood of the stream for typological interpretation. the prophets, “shed from the foundation Things that are outside the banks of this of the world, may be charged against this stream do not match the “type” of inter- generation” (11:50). There is historical pretations that qualify as valid typological correspondence between the way wicked readings. (2) Divine intention points to opponents have treated the righteous God’s sovereign, providential work in the 53 drama of human history. (3) Typological he has made. We turn to the evidence for interpretation of the Bible looks for the each of these. ways the human authors of the Bible have “read” God’s work in history, and it Linguistic Correspondences seeks to discern cues the human authors As we begin to survey this evidence, give as to how they have interpreted that it is important to note that the argument work. (4) Typological interpretation then being presented is based on the accumu- shapes the worldview of those who have lation of all the pieces of data to be sur- learned interpretation from the biblical veyed below. Taken individually, a point authors, and we who would learn from of correspondence may seem incidental the biblical authors seek to interpret the or easily dismissed. Taken all together, world and our experiences in it in the however, these are the kinds of correspon- same way that the biblical authors have. dences that allusively draw the mind of We seek to have our symbolic universe someone reading the narratives of David shaped by the symbolic universe por- to the narratives of Joseph, with the result trayed in the Bible. We seek to build our that Joseph and David come to be associ- interpretive framework after the pattern ated with one another, even if not in an of the interpretive framework employed explicit or conscious way.17 The authors by the biblical authors. Our world is, as of the biblical narratives are not heavy it were, read through the lens given to us handed, nor do they invent material or by the Bible. falsify history. They do, however, make significant choices about which events Was Joseph a Type of David? or aspects of events to record, and they Peter Leithart has written, “Like great make linguistic choices regarding how to novelists, the biblical writers repeat a describe those events. These choices can theme, word, or image throughout a function as intentional, if subtle, allusions book, and it accumulates significance as to earlier narratives, and they can point us it goes.”16 My argument that the author(s) to the ways in which the biblical authors of Samuel intended the book’s audience frame their interpretation of history to to see that Joseph was a type of David match earlier biblical patterns. will be based on three observable sets It is also helpful to consider the way of data: (1) linguistic correspondences: the that allusions work in our own language reuse of key phrases from the Joseph story and culture.